Me: Here's the third chapter!

Dr. Stiles: You know what? I'm going to check on Angie! Here's my replacement!
(drags Victor in the room and walks out)

Me: …. So, how's it going?

Victor: (smirks) Why do you care?

Me: CYBIL! VICTOR IS BEING MEAN!

Cybil: (walks in) Victor, what did you do?

Victor: I just didn't answer a question!

Cybil: ….

Me: While this continues, I don't own Trauma Center!

oOoOoOo

Trauma Center: Racing Against Time

Chapter 3: Watch Through the Night

oOoOoOo

This was the second time Dr. Stiles just hated the sight of Life Support, making him
move out into the hall of the ICU. Other doctors, familiar faces like Dr. Hoffman and Dr.
Clarks, walked in and out, samples and readings in their hands. Dr. Chase had consoled
him too, mentioning the Chiral machine in that room once or twice. Stiles didn't want to
hear or believe it, placing an invisible wall around himself as he lost himself in thought.

He was dragged out of his thoughts by Dr. Hoffman whose expression couldn't get any
graver. "Derek… its… a positive Chiral Reading," Dr. Hoffman said slowly. Dr. Stiles'
eyes widened in shock and his attention fell to the floor. "…Is there something else about
the reading?" he asked quietly. Dr. Hoffman, though becoming old, was still sharp in his
senses and his frown deepened, "…The reading is higher than mine when Savato caught
me."

Stiles looked up quickly, jumping to his feet, "How's that possible?!" Dr. Hoffman only
shook his head, "We're not sure Stiles, but we must take a few more tests and you need to
calm down. I know you want to do something about this now, but leaping in head first
without knowing the consequences might get Ms. Thompson killed." "…" Dr. Stiles
knew there was no argument and he slumped against the wall again, unable to speak.

In the silence, Dr. Hoffman walked off, shaking his head. Cybil walked into the room a
while later with several other doctors, Dr. Clarks with them. They took Angie away for
testing after the anesthesia set in. "Sorry Stiles," Cybil said, looking sympathetic, "But
you can't do this test. If it is a GUILT, we have to find the reason of it showing now…."
She didn't even leave room for conversation as she turned on her heel and followed after
the surgeons.

oOoOoOo

"This isn't adding up," Victor growled. He was in his lab, looking at the vials of cells,
comparing Angie's to his growing collection. It didn't compare with any of the other
GUILT cells he had stored, not even Hoffman's. He took a little of the Savato vaccine he
had made and, with another small vial, dropped it into Angie's infected cells. It wasn't a
reaction he was hoping for. Instead of neutralizing or the cells getting destroyed, the cell
attacked the very vaccine violently, breaking slightly the glass.

"Wh-What the hell?!" he exclaimed, placing the vial within another case as the glass
shattered. Victor continued watching, noting that the cells died after destroying the
vaccine completely. "… this isn't good," he mumbled, clearing away the case. He jotted
down the reaction on his notepad. He took a vial containing Hoffman's cells when he was
infected with Savato, comparing it under a microscope to Angie's.

"Hm… this is just becoming worse with every turn…" he mumbled, "Stiles won't like
this…"

oOoOoOo

Angie was returned to the ICU with Stiles still waiting outside of the room. Cybil shook
her head as she walked back out, muttering a quick apology to him before disappearing
again else where. He looked into the room but then quickly turned out, his own
nightmares returning, making him sigh. The door opened at the end of the hall, showing
Victor, nothing in arms though. He noticed Stiles in a heartbeat and walked over, slightly
looking else where.

"Hey…" he said, getting Stiles attention, "…This might not be something you want to
hear but… something's really got Angie." "…." Dr. Stiles just stared ahead as Victor
continued, "It even ate my vaccine for Savato Stiles!" Now that grabbed several people's
attention and caused Nurse Sears to drop a tray she carried, a bowl and glass shattering
on impact with the floor.

"You're not getting off work tonight," Victor finished and walked out of the ICU. Fewer
people walked into Angie's room now, the 'Quarantine' labeled firmly on the chart
hanging on the wall. Stiles would take his chance, tired of the stares from everyone
within the ICU office. He stepped into Angie's room and looked around.

Like everything within the Caduceus and other Hospitals, the room was white and
accompanied by that familiar clean scent that all doctors got use to day by day. It was
uncomfortable to some level for Stiles since his last time in the IC was when his dad was
dying. The machines maintained a constant tempo of sorts, every tube attached to his
faithful nurse Angie. Angie herself looked awfully pale and in such a short time too since
it just started yesterday, her hair out of its usual ponytail and spilling over the pillow,
even the bed. A clear mask over her nose and mouth revealed her to still be breathing.

Stiles took a seat next to the bed and stared at her for a long time, unconsciously taking
hold of her hand, squeezing it lightly. As expected, there was no response from her, just
the continuing 'beep' of the life support. He dropped himself from hopeful to slightly
dejected, not letting his eyes stray from her. If what Victor said was true, then her hopes
for survival were practically gone. "You would yell at me for thinking such…" he
whispered, "Just like with Elliot…"

"… Do you remember when we were assigned together at Hope?" he asked Angie,
hoping for some response. "… You said I was some rookie. I wouldn't blame you…
Then, when Sean West almost died because I failed to find the last tumor… you said I
wasn't a real doctor…" Stiles looked at her with a forlorn smile, "But then I saved Omar
Flynn… you congratulated me for doing an operation only Dr. Kasal should've
performed…"

"I… do… remember…" Dr. Stiles looked up sharply, his eyes looking Angie's face. Her
celadon eyes were half closed, abandoned of their usual gleam. She squeezed Stiles' hand
weakly, her lips curving into a smile. "Angie… how you feeling?" he asked, mentally
smacking his head. She laughed slightly, but stopped, closing her eyes and cringing as
pain returned. "I… wish… I could… say fine…" she gasped and then looked at Dr.
Stiles, tears escaping her weakened eyes, "I'm sorry…Derek… I… didn't… say
anything…"

Angie took a sharp, intake of breath and shuddered, making Dr. Stiles panic. "Don't
strain yourself Angie," he said, "You need to stay alive until we can deal with the
GUILT." Her eyes widened, "It… was… positive..?!" "…." He couldn't think of a way
to sugar coat it so he nodded his head. Dr. Stiles had only seen Angie scared on a several
occasions, one when Omar was in Cardiac Arrest, the second time when her father was
treated for Savato, third time when he himself was infected with Paraskevi and Kyriaki,
and the last when Dr. Hoffman had a more advance case of Savato.

The look she was giving him was heart wrenching, almost breaking his in reality. "It…
will be… found… soon… right?" she asked, grasping his hand as tight as she could
which, in her state, was very lightly. "Angie…" he whispered, at a slight loss of words,
"They'll figure it out… I'm positive… as soon as they do, I'll make sure it's taken care of
personally…" The reply made her smile, "Thank… you… Derek…"

Her eyes closed and her head fell to the side, making Dr. Stiles jump. "Angie?!" he
asked, alarmed. A chuckle pulled his attention to Dr. Chase at the door, "Dude, don't
worry. Angie's just sleeping. Amy did the same thing before you removed the Deftera
from her." Stiles felt embarrassed, the blush evident. "Ah, don't worry," Chase
said, walking into the room and looking at the machines. "… Even after working here, I
still hate to see these machines…" he mumbled, "I don't think anyone ever does not that I
think about it…" "… did Victor tell you?" Stiles suddenly brought up. Chase turned
around and looked confused, "What?" "The vaccine for Savato…. Was destroyed… by
the cells they took from Angie…"

Chase might as well just had a heart attack, "What?! But…! That means that this GUILT
has evolved so much that it's taken over the cells, making them attack her body as
well…" Chase thought for a second but then nodded to himself, "Derek, stay with Angie.
I'm gonna go talk to everyone about this…" and with that, Chase bolted out of the IC
room.

Once again, he was left in the room alone with Angie. He took a seat next to her bedside
once more, taking her hand in his. "I promise," he whispered, "…. You won't die like
this…. I won't let you…"

oOoOoOo

Me: (holding a tissue) I'm gonna make myself cry…

Cybil: Don't do that… your job is to finish the story for everyone who reads…

Me: Oh right… (sniffs)

Review please!